^EALTH. 


<5°  Q?  • 

jf  M.  BARKER,  PH.  D. 


CINCINNATI : 

CRANSTON  &  CURTS. 


NEW  YORK : 
HUNT  RATON. 


33  1 

"S  '  4-3. 


Copyright 

BY  CRANSTON  &  CURTS. 
1892. 


Wealth. 


i. 


Gbe  accumulation  of  Wealth. 


HE  wealth  of  this  nation  is  increasing  with 


1  unprecedented  rapidity.  We  are  living  in  a 
land  highly  favored  for  growth  in  all  those  ma¬ 
terial  goods  which  contribute  to  the  general  com¬ 
fort  of  the  people.  We  have  a  prolific  soil,  great 
natural  resources,  a  good  government,  and  our 
workmen  receive  comparatively  high  wages.  The 
majority  of  Americans  have  it  in  their  power, 
through  industry  and  frugality,  to  accumulate 
some  degree  of  wealth. 

The  following  facts  show  that  the  people  of 
this  nation  are  singularly  favored  for  amass¬ 
ing  wealth.  The  assessed  valuation  of  real  estate 
and  personal  property  in  the  United  States  for 
1890  was  $24,249,589,804.  The  true  valuation  is 


3 


4 


mealtb. 


estimated  at  $63,000,000,000,  or  nearly  $1,000  per 
capita.  tc  .The  assessed  value  of  all  property  has 
incr^as^/d;uHh‘§:fiLe/past  decade  $7,346,590,261, 
a/a  afnounf,  equiVafcnt  to  the  true  value  of  all 

*  «  c  *  '  t  1  ’  (  ,  r f'  ‘  , 

pr6J)ferty  ihe  United  States  Census 

*  »  I*  ‘  *  /«  i**‘  *e  *  «. 

The ‘year.fy/Qar icings  of  the  people  of  this  na¬ 
tion  are  estimated  to  be  $12,000,000,000,  and  the 
yearly  savings  $900,000,000.  We  have  $708,000,- 
000  in  gold,  and  $475,000,000  in  silver  coin.  The 
national  banks  have  a  combined  capitalization  of 
$600,000,000.  The  savings  banks  of  the  United 
States  have  $1,400,000,000,  the  greater  part  of 
which  has  been  deposited  by  persons  of  moderate 
means. 

The  entire  cereal  crop  of  the  United  States  for 
the  year  1891  was  3,465,000,000  bushels.  These, 
with  other  products  of  the  soil,  were  valued  at 
$4,000,000,000.  The  output  of  our  factories 
reached  for  the  same  year  the  enormous  sum  of 
$7,000,000,000.  No  one  can  measure  the  match¬ 
less  possibilities  of  the  future  for  this  nation. 
Our  people  are  energetic  and  progressive.  They 
are  opening  up  new  avenues  for  trade  and  em¬ 
ployment,  and  can  command  the  markets  of  the 


Gbc  accumulation  of  ‘HHlealtb* 


5 


world  by  the  cheapness  and  superiority  of  their 
products. 

There  are  some  conditions  for  acquiring  wealth 
which  are  important  to  observe.  Among  the  per¬ 
sonal  elements  favoring  the  accumulation  of 
wealth  is  the  just  and  proper  appreciation  of  it. 
There  is  a  rightful  love  of  gain,  and  an  unholy 
lUvSt  for  it.  The  desire  to  acquire  wealth  need  not 
sink  to  base  avarice.  Self-interest  is  not  selfish¬ 
ness.  Money  loved  for  its  own  sake  is  the  root 
of  evil,  but  when  sought  as  a  means  for  nobler 
ends  becomes  laudable.  No  one  .should  have  a 
contempt  for  wealth,  nor  entertain  loose  ideas  of 
values,  as  did  Esau  and  the  prodigal  son.  To  dis¬ 
parage  wealth  is  to  spurn  great  opportunities. 
There  are  great  dangers  resulting  from  an  intense 
devotion  to  acquiring  wealth ;  but  there  may  be 
equally  great  risks  attending  poverty  through  loss 
of  self-respect,  purpose,  and  opportunity.  The 
proverb  declares  that  “the  rich  man’s  wealth  is 
his  strong  city:  the  destruction  of  the  poor  is 
their  poverty.”  (Prov.  x,  15.) 

The  growth  of  a  nation’s  wealth  is  one  means 
of  measuring  the  triumphal  march  of  man  from 
barbarism  to  culture  and  civilization.  Wealth 


6 


WUealtb. 


gives  man  the  command  of  those  forces  by  which 
he  may  be  lifted  to  a  higher  mental  and  moral 
life.  In  these  days  there  is  entirely  too  much 
condemnation  of  rich  men.  It  is  no  crime  to  be 
rich.  The  man  who  acquires  wealth  by  legitimate 
means  and  with  worthy  motives  is  to  be  com¬ 
mended.  It  is  evident  that  the  motive  to  acquire 
wealth  should  be  fostered  by  many  persons  who 
especially  need  the  opportunities  wealth  affords  for 
making  the  most  of  their  faculties  and  powers. 

Another  important  consideration  in  accumu¬ 
lating  wealth  is  the  ciiltivation  of  the  mind.  Wealth 
is  produced  by  man’s  physical,  mental,  and  moral 
activity.  It  is  the  joint  product  of  the  hands, 
head,  and  heart.  Physical  energy  is  important  ; 
but  mental  labor  is  the  largest  and  most  valuable 
factor  in  producing  wealth.  Hence  it  is  that 
wealth  is  becoming  more  and  more  allied  to 
intelligence.  It  is  the  ignorant  nations  that  are 
infested  with  paupers.  Men  grow  rich  by  the  use 
their  faculties.  A  man  of  intelligence  and  ex¬ 
perience  creates  wealth.  There  is  great  scope  for 
the  exercise  of  superior  ability  in  all  lines  of 
business.  Capital  is  in  search  of  skilled  superin¬ 
tendence.  Few  have  the  ability  to  organize  and 


?Tbe  Accumulation  ot  liillcaltb. 


7 


conduct  great  enterprises.  Successful  trading  is 
not  easy.  Hard  work  and  .study  are  necessary. 
There  are  such  rapid  changes  in  business  condi¬ 
tions  and  methods  that  the  man  who  possesses  in¬ 
telligence  and  foresight  to  organize  and  execute, 
is  more  likely  to  succeed  in  acquiring  wealth. 

The  loss  to  creditors  from  business  failures  in 
the  United  States  for  1890  aggregated  $82,000,000. 
More  than  eighty  per  cent  of  those  engaged  in 
business  failed  through  inexperience,  incompe¬ 
tency,  or  lack  of  capital.  The  young  man  who 
would  enter  the  twentieth  century  with  the  best 
chances  for  the  highest  business  career,  and  equip 
himself  for  the  highest  service,  should  have  the 
best  college  training.  This  should  be  followed 
by  a  knowledge  of  the  details  of  business  through 
actual  experience,  before  investing  money  in  it. 
This  course  will  take  more  time ;  but  it  will  mul¬ 
tiply  one’s  chances  for  usefulness,  and  is  by  far 
safer,  and  the  reward  is  certain. 

The  training  of  the  intellect  likewise  qualifies 
the  workmen  to  meet  the  new  industrial  conditions 
of  society.  There  has  been  a  remarkable  shifting 
of  labor  during  the  century.  Inventions  have 
greatly  modified  human  conditions.  A  single 


a 


*UHealtb. 


cotton-gin  does  the  work  which  formerly  required 
one  thousand  men.  A  sewing-machine  does  the 
work  of  twelve  women.  A  Boston  boot-maker, 
with  one  workman,  makes  three  hundred  pairs  of 
boots  daily.  In  1880,  three  hundred  of  these  ma¬ 
chines  were  at  work  in  various  countries,  and 
turned  out  150,000,000  pairs.  Glenn’s  California 
reaper  will  cut,  thresh,  winnow,  and  bag  the 
wheat  of  sixty  acres  in  twenty-four  hours.  The 
Hercules  ditcher  removes  seven  hundred  and  fifty 
cubic  yards  of  clay  per  hour.  The  Darlington 
borer  enables  one  man  to  do  the  work  of  seven 
in  tunneling,  and  reduces  the  cost  by  two-thirds. 
One  boy,  with  a  knitting-machine,  does  as  much 
work  as  one  hundred  persons  could  do  one  hun¬ 
dred  years  ago. 

The  displacement  of  labor  through  machinery 
is  apparent.  It  is  estimated  that  the  machinery 
in  Great  Britain  is  doing  the  work  of  700,000,000 
men.  The  invention  of  Bessemer  took  39,000 
men  out  of  employment.  The  remarkable  concen¬ 
tration  of  power  in  steam  and  electricity  will  be 
more  and  more  utilized,  and  thereby  continue  to 
modify  industrial  and  economic  conditions.  These 
circumstances  tend  to  reduce  mere  physical  labor 


ftbe  Accumulation  of  Mealtb. 


9 


to  the  same  importance.  The  work  to  be  done 
does  not  always  .stimulate  thought,  nor  call  out 
the  skill  of  those  employed.  The  .safeguard  of 
workmen  must  be  in  their  skill,  intelligence, 
and  ability  to  adapt  themselves  to  new  condi¬ 
tions,  and  thus  to  be  prepared  for  higher  duties. 
Our  unskilled  labor  must  become  skilled. 

The  highest  productive  efficiency  is  condi¬ 
tioned  on  intelligence.  Every  improvement  in 
the  industrial  character  of  the  working-class 
qualifies  them  for  a  higher  grade  of  production, 
and  insures  better  compensation.  The  highest 
paid  labor  is  generally  that  which  costs  the  em¬ 
ployer  least.  “  The  English  cotton-spinner  is  paid 
as  many  shillings  as  the  East  Indian  spinner  gets 
pence ;  yet  the  cotton-cloth  of  England  undersells 
that  of  India  in  Indian  markets.”  The  increased 
compensation  of  workmen  in  the  United  States  is 
largely  due  to  the  fact  that  they  surpass  those  of 
any  other  nation  in  strength,  intelligent  direction 
of  force,  and  ability  to  use  machinery  to  advan¬ 
tage.  The  ultimate  explanation  of  all  industrial 
progress  lies  in  the  personal  elements  of  industry, 
intelligence,  and  integrity. 

The  development  oi'the  moral  qualities  also 


IO 


TOealtb. 


tends  toward  the  amassing  of  wealth.  Honesty 
and  integrity  of  character  are  wealth-creating 
abilities.  Wealth  is  the  sum  total  of  .social  pro¬ 
ducts,  and  includes  all  articles  that  have  value. 
Value  is  purchasing  power,  or  the  quantitative 
measure  of  the  capacity  to  serve,  and  the  power 
to  satisfy  human  wants. 

Man’s  moral  and  intellectual  qualities  can  not 
be  said  to  have  an  economic  value,  because  they 
can  not  be  transferred  or  exchanged,  inasmuch  as 
they  are  part  of  himself.  They  have,  however, 
an  ethical  value,  the  products  of  which  make 
wealth.  Wealth  is  not  the  qualities  themselves, 
but  the  product  of  them.  They  get  their  value 
from  the  possible  service  they  may  render  to  so¬ 
ciety.  A  man’s  character  and  reputation  are  often 
spoken  of  as  personal  wealth.  It  is  as  true  to-day 
as  it  was  in  the  days  of  Solomon,  that  a  good 
name  is  better  than  great  riches.  It  is  in  and 
through  these  immaterial  relationships  that  mate¬ 
rial  things  become  wealth.  Intellectual,  social, 
and  moral  conditions  make  the  land  in  Ohio 
command  three  and  four  times  the  price  of  better 
land  in  Mississippi.  Moral  qualities  are  becom¬ 
ing  more  and  more  the  active  forces  in  pro¬ 
ducing  wealth.  The  nation’s  wealth  extends 


ftbe  accumulation  ot  THHcaltb. 


ti 


and  increases  with  virtue,  justice,  and  morality. 
As  the  moral  tone  of  society  rises,  it  becomes 
more  difficult  for  a  dishonest  man  to  succeed  in 
any  legitimate  business.  Truly,  “honesty  is  the 
best  policy.” 

Honesty  and  integrity  of  character  to  many 
business  men  are  so  much  capital.  They  will  tide 
a  man  over  financial  embarrassment,  when  the 
man  without  them,  under  like  circumstances,  will 
fail.  Business  life  is  a  struggle  without  credit ; 
and  this  is  based  upon  confidence  in  uprightness 
of  character.  A  true  and  lofty  character  is  favor¬ 
able  to  accumulating  material  goods.  Potential 
wealth  is  wrapped  up  in  man’s  moral  qualities. 
They  help  establish  confidence,  prompt  men  to  a 
determination  to  labor,  and  quicken  the  will  to 
save.  The  inequalities  of  men  in  regard  to  wealth 
do  not  apply  to  the  higher  and  nobler  qualities 
of  soul.  All  may  share  equally  in  moral  and 
spiritual  blessings.  These  inherent  qualities  have 
a  twofold  blessing.  Divine  wisdom  has  “  length 
of  days  in  her  right  hand,  and  in  her  left  hand 
riches  and  honor.”  (Prov.  iii,  16.) 

To  accumulate  wealth,  a  man  should  have  the 
desire  for  it,  and  the  patience  to  wait  for  it.  There 
is  no  short  and  easy  road  to  wealth.  The  ma- 


traealtb. 


12 

jority  of  men  can  not  grasp  results  without  plod¬ 
ding.  Worthy  success  is  step  by  step  up  the 
rugged  path  of  industry.  Many  of  the  great  for¬ 
tunes  of  the  past  are  largely  incidental  to  great 
opportunities.  They  have  been  built  up  by  true 
investment  in  commercial  centers,  or  by  the  util¬ 
izing  of  steam  and  electricity  and  the  rapid  ex¬ 
pansion  of  railroads.  These  opportunities  have 
largely  passed  by.  Conditions  are  growing  more 
fixed  as  the  country  becomes  more  populated. 
Great  fortunes  in  the  future  will  be  fewer,  and 
more  difficult  to  gain.  Rapid  transportation,  and 
the  ready  communication  in  regard  to  supply  and 
demand,  give  greater  evenness  to  prices,  and  af¬ 
ford  less  opportunity  to  acquire  large  fortunes  by 
speculation  and  corners. 

Wealth  originates  in  labor.  Labor  involves 
the  intellectual  as  well  as  the  physical  element. 
Labor,  however,  is  no  exact  measure  of  wealth. 
The  invention  of  the  cotton-gin  greatly  enhanced 
the  value  of  the  cotton-fields,  and  the  inventions 
in  woolen  machinery  have  brought  untold  wealth 
to  wool-growers. 

Inasmuch  as  wealth  is  regarded  as  the  per¬ 
manent  form  of  labor,  no  one  should  resort  to  the 


XLh c  Accumulation  of  TlXHealtb* 


*3 


expedient  of  getting  something  for  nothing. 
Honest  service  is  the  true  equivalent  of  wealth. 
As  a  man  values  happiness,  contentment,  and  his 
moral  interests,  so  he  should  shun  the  induce¬ 
ments  held  out  to  make  money  which  is  not  the 
reward  of  service. 

The  passion  for  rapid  gain  without  toil  of 
brain  or  muscle,  is  intensified  by  the  hurry  and 
impatience  of  our  day.  It  does  not  pay  to  risk 
money,  peace  of  mind,  and  life  in  the  maelstrom 
of  speculation.  Luck  and  shrewdness  in  some 
gambling  speculation  may  succeed  for  a  time;  but 
the  possessor  is  likely  to  lapse  into  ruin  and  de¬ 
moralization.  There  is  nothing  gained  by  sudden 
riches.  They  lack  the  discipline  and  experience 
necessary  to  keep  them.  It  is  stated  that  most  of 
the  fortunes  made  during  the  years  of  the  war  were 
lost  again  before  the  clo.se  of  1867.  The  desire 
for  sudden  riches  ensnares  the  young,  fosters  gam¬ 
bling,  and  encourages  idleness  and  extravagance. 
The  slow  accumulation  of  the  profits  of  industry 
brings  wealth  as  the  reward  of  human  foresight 
and  determination.  The  consciousness  that  one 
has  rendered  faithful  service  to  society  by  follow¬ 
ing  some  solid  and  legitimate  business  will  en- 


14 


Wealth* 


hance  the  enjoyment  of  wealth.  He  is  the  rich 
man  in  whom  the  people  are  rich. 

The  natural  limit  of  accumulating  wealth  must 
be  comparatively  low.  The  average  wealth  of  the 
producers  in  this  country  is  about  $3,000.  The 
limit  of  the  average  income  from  annual  produc¬ 
tions  for  the  same  class  is  only  $450.  Everybody 
can  not  expect  to  have  large  wealth ;  but  moder¬ 
ate  sums  saved,  by  years  of  skillful  and  persist¬ 
ent  efforts,  enable  a  man  to  be  generous,  educate 
his  family,  and  secure  a  comfortable  maintenance 
in  old  age. 

Wealth  is  largely  the  fruit  of  abstinence  and 
economy.  Abstinence  demands  effort.  It  re¬ 
quires  a  power  of  imagination  and  strength  of  will 
to  foresee  the  advantages  of  postponing  present 
enjoyment  for  future  accumulations.  The  savage 
yields  to  present  demands,  and  fails  to  accumulate. 
His  poverty  is  due  to  want  of  industry  and  self- 
control.  The  civilized  man  forecasts  the  future, 
and  sees  the  advantages  of  putting  off  till  to-mor¬ 
row  what  he  might  enjoy  to-day. 

The  acquisition  of  wealth  is  made  by  redeem¬ 
ing  the  time  and  economizing  petty  sums.  The 
safest  road  to  wealth  and  happiness  is  by  patient 


Zhc  Bccumulatton  ot  THHealtb, 


15 


industry  and  frugal  savings.  A  man  saves  when 
he  has  something  to  show  for  what  he  spends. 
If  a  man  saves  eleven  cents  a  day,  it  will  amount 
in  ten  years  to  $520,  and  in  fifty  years  to  $11,600. 
If  he  saves  $1.10  a  day,  it  will  amount  in  fifty 
years  to  $116,000.  The  indolent  and  shiftless  will 
never  reach  the  goal  of  success.  Thrift  and  in¬ 
dustry  go  together.  Energy,  integrity,  and  fru¬ 
gality  are  man’s  best  capital. 

Ignorance  and  waste  are  the  poor  man’s  great¬ 
est  enemies.  Since  the  beginning  of  this  century 
the  nations  of  Christendom  have  engaged  in  forty- 
seven  great  wars,  and  have  expended  $130,000,- 
000,000.  The  wars  of  the  past  have  aggravated 
the  miseries  of  the  poor  by  fettering  industries, 
paralyzing  trade,  and  creating  bitter  animosities. 
In  time  of  peace  Europe  has  nearly  4,000,000 
able-bodied  men  under  arms,  maintained  at  an 
annual  cost  of  $1,000,000,000. 

The  people  of  the  United  States  are  not  bur¬ 
dened  with  a  large  standing  army,  but  the  annual 
liquor-bill  amounts  to  $1,200,000,000.  All  the 
silver  coin  of  the  country  is  less  than  $500,000,000. 
The  tariff  for  the  year  1891  only  involved,  di¬ 
rectly,  the  sum  of  $219,000,000.  These  facts, 


i6 


Mealtffi 


compared  with  the  money  spent  for  liquor,  show 
it  to  be  the  supreme  economic  question  in  the 
nation.  It  costs  the  people  $52,260,000  annually 
to  pay  for  policing  the  liquor-traffic.  Seventy- 
three  per  cent  of  the  total  arrests  for  crime  in 
1891  were  made  because  of  drink.  Certainly  ninety- 
nine  per  cent  of  the  cost  of  manufacturing  and 
sale  of  liquors  impoverishes  the  community.  The 
good  of  society,  as  well  as  the  industrial  su¬ 
premacy  of  this  nation,  will  depend  upon  the 
suppression  of  the  saloon  as  the  greatest  demoral¬ 
izer  of  our  workmen. 

The  cost  of  tobacco  to  consumers  in  this  na¬ 
tion  aggregates  hundreds  of  millions  of  dollars. 
It  is  more  than  is  given  to  support  all  the 
churches,  missions,  and  all  other  benevolent  and 
philanthropic  enterprises  combined.  The  man 
who  spends  ten  cents  a  day  for  tobacco,  could  lay 
it  aside  on  interest,  and  have  $2,888.54  in  thirty 
years. 

Those  who  refuse  to  save  small  sums,  and 
would  rather  indulge  in  expensive  living,  amuse¬ 
ments,  and  luxuries,  may  see  the  day  when,  with 
empty  purse,  they  will  grumble  at  the  man  of 
frugal  habits,  who  enjoys  a  competency.  The 


Gbe  accumulation  of  THHealtb. 


1 7 


man  who  would  accumulate  wealth  should  give 
close  attention  to  business,  keep  his  credit  good, 
know  whom  to  trust,  never  trade  beyond  his 
means,  never  indorse  other  people’s  paper  without 
sufficient  guarantee,  and  adopt  a  scale  of  expendi¬ 
ture  according  to  income. 

It  is  likewise  important  to  keep  a  level  head 
when  turning  fijiancial  corners.  The  state  of  trade 
revolves  in  cycles.  About  every  ten  years  the 
period  of  contraction  and  depression  is  followed 
by  a  period  of  expansion  and  prosperity.  In  one 
period  there  is  confidence,  activity,  growth  of 
credit,  and  overtrading.  The  other  period  is  fol¬ 
lowed  by  distrust,  panic,  inaction,  and  hard  times. 
Where  these  two  extremes  do  not  offset  each 
other,  the  largest  production  of  wealth  can  not 
take  place.  These  conditions  involve  a  loss  to 
capital,  and  mischief  to  the  laborer,  who,  during 
the  period  of  inaction,  forms  habits  of  idleness, 
carelessness,  and  despondency,  which  are  not  easily 
shaken  off.  A  calm  and  steady  market  is  best  for 
all  concerned. 

I  suspect  this  nation  is  on  the  eve  of  a  re¬ 
vival  of  unexampled  prosperity.  The  aggravating 
forces  of  mischief  produced  by  fears  and  sus- 


2 


i8 


mealtb. 


picions,  in  a  great  measure  have  spent  themselves. 
There  is  everywhere  indication  of  reviving  hope 
and  courage.  These  are  as  infectious  as  fear  and 
distrust.  The  good  crops,  the  abundance  of  money 
on  deposit  in  banks,  and  the  general  good  feeling 
awakened  by  the  World’s  Columbian  Fair,  will 
accelerate  the  forces  at  play  to  bring  about  a  better 
condition  of  affairs.  Again,  the  elasticity  and 
buoyancy  of  our  national  character,  and  our  abun¬ 
dant  resources  and  growing  population,  make  it 
possible,  and  very  probable,  that  there  will  be  a 
speedy  revival  of  all  trades  and  industries. 


II. 


£be  power  of  Wealth. 


HERE  never  was  a  time  in  the  history  of 


1  the  world  when  the  power  of  money  was 
greater  than  in  our  age.  Steatn  and  electricity 
have  put  us  in  touch  with  the  entire  world.  Hea¬ 
then  lands  throw  open  their  doors  to  our  mission¬ 
aries  and  commerce.  The  organized  forms  of 
charity  of  to-day  make  even  the  widow’s  mite 
wield  a  power  for  good  in  the  remotest  parts  of 
the  earth. 

Men  struggle  and  sacrifice  for  wealth  because 
they  crave  the  good  things  of  the  world  which 
money  will  buy.  Wealth  commands  the  resources 
of  the  material  world.  It  stands  for  a  magnifi¬ 
cent  house,  delights  of  travel,  treasures  of  art, 
social  .standing,  and  political  triumphs. 

The  aggregation  of  wealth  has  its  abuses  as 
well  as  its  functions.  It  confers  the  power  to 
gratify  passion,  blinds  judgment,  perverts  justice, 
panders  to  vice,  and  buys  votes.  It  not  only  sub¬ 
verts  the  mental  and  moral  life,  but  menaces  our 


20 


TOealtb. 


free  institutions.  Unfortunately,  the  power  of 
wealth  has  increased  faster  than  the  moral  and 
social  sanction  of  the  methods  employed  to  get  it. 
A  sober  estimate  of  the  power  of  wealth  shows 
that  it  is  not  omnipotent.  It  is  often  outranked 
by  intellectual,  moral,  and  spiritual  power.  Wealth 
can  not  touch  the  heart  nor  the  conscience.  It 
can  not  buy  affections,  peace  of  mind,  intellectual 
and  spiritual  gifts,  nor  beauty  of  soul. 

Wealth  has  a  concentrated  power  of  noble  and 
uplifting  service.  The  few  dollars  spent  on  some 
useless  luxuries  or  harmful  indulgence  would 
support  a  native  minister  in  China  or  India,  and 
thereby  turn  the  hearts  of  many  in  heathen  lands 
to  God.  Thus  wealth  may  be  transmuted,  by  the 
aid  of  the  Spirit,  into  spiritual  power,  whose  influ¬ 
ence  will  go  on  to  bless  the  race. 

Wealth  enables  a  man  to  execute  his  own  de¬ 
signs,  and  convert  his  thoughts  into  reality.  The 
possessor  of  wealth  has  it  in  his  power  to  erect  a 
home  for  the  aged,  a  hospital  for  the  sick,  or  a 
library  building  in  his  own  town  or  city,  or  in 
some  college,  which  will  serve  as  a  bee-hive  to  the 
old  and  young  who  desire  to  extract  from  books 
the  noblest  and  purest  thoughts  of  the  present  and 


Gbe  ipovver  of  inaealtb 


21 


past  generations,  by  which  to  mold  character  and 
elevate  the  race. 

Better  still,  wealth  enables  a  man  to  endow  a 
professorship  in  a  college,  and  let  the  income  of 
this  fund  employ  some  one  who  will  work  in  his 
behalf,  and  speak  in  his  name  for  Christ,  to  pres¬ 
ent  and  future  generations.  By  this  means  a  per¬ 
son  may  touch  the  ends  of  the  earth,  and  enrich 
the  globe  with  influences  through  the  youth  who 
have  sought  the  instruction  and  Christian  inspira¬ 
tion  which  his  generosity  has  made  it  possible 
for  them  to  acquire.  Men  thus  multiply  their 
power  and  influence  for  g6od  by  commanding 
the  services  of  other  men,  on  the  line  of  the 
greatest  good  to  humanity.  “A  single  woman, 
winning  her  bread  at  the  point  of  her  needle, 
could  not  found  a  college,  so  she  made  a  school 
of  her  little  room,  went  to  the  orphan  asylum, 
and  adopted  a  little  boy.  She  gave  him  an  edu¬ 
cation,  and  saw  him  occupy  the  foremost  pulpits 
of  the  land,  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific.  How 
gloriously  her  own  life  sunned  itself,  blossomed, 
and  bore  fruit  meanwhile!”  Thus  even  a  small 
sum,  allied  to  a  heart  of  love,  may  be  made  to 
wield  a  powerful  influence  for  good. 


TIT. 


£be  IReeponsibilitp  of  Mealtb. 


HE  possessor  of  wealth  has  a  personal  respon- 


1  sibility  for  its  management  and  distribution. 
This  responsibility  is  based  upon  man’s  obligations 
to  God.  He  sustains  a  personal  relation  to  Christ 
as  his  Master.  He  is  God’s  steward,  and  is  ac¬ 
countable  for  whatever  ability  or  wealth  he  may 
possess. 

Wealth  is  a  trust-fund  of  moral  and  spiritual 
power.  Every  man,  be  he  rich  or  poor,  is  hand¬ 
ling  trust-funds.  God  has  taken  him  into  part¬ 
nership  with  himself.  He  is  a  co-worker  with 
God  in  redeeming  the  world  from  sin.  In  carry¬ 
ing  forward  the  work,  God  claims  from  each  one 
tithes  and  thank-offerings.  He  demands  a  share 
in  all  we  do  or  possess.  We  rob  him  when  we 
withhold  or  take  our  partner’s  share.  No  man 
has  a  right  to  misapply  funds  that  belong  to 
Him. 

Wealth  is  a  part  of  personality.  It  is  life 
stored  up  in  this  portable  form,  and  should  flow 


22 


tXbc  IReeponsibUitE  of  mealtb. 


23 


out  in  genuine  simplicity  and  benevolence.  Men 
acquire  wealth  by  the  expenditure  of  personal 
force,  and  they  can  not  escape  the  Responsibility 
for  its  use.  Wealth  has  a  potential  power  of  serv¬ 
ice,  and  is  as  fully  subject  to  the:  law  »of  &ervi£e  as 
the  powers  of  the  head,  heart,  will,  or  hand,  Fit¬ 
ness  for  sovereignty,  in  the  use  of  huu<am  talehts 
or  money,  is  measured  by  ability  to  serve.  No 
man  can  serve  God,  and  let  his  property  remain 
in  the  service  of  Satan.  The  money  god,  person¬ 
ified  as  Mammon,  is  one  of  the  greatest  rivals  of 
Christ  in  the  human  heart.  The  grasping  and  pe¬ 
nurious  man  dethrones  God,  and  sets  up  riches, 
and  gives  them  the  first  place  in  his  thoughts  and 
affections.  Our  Ford  warned  men  of  the  subtle 
and  dangerous  power  of  wealth.  He  condemns 
the  selfishness  of  poverty  as  well  as  the  selfish  ex¬ 
travagance  of  the  rich.  He  holds  each  one  re¬ 
sponsible  for  giving  according  to  his  ability.  Our 
giving  should  be  the  measure  of  our  love  to  Him 
whom  we  serve.  The  Holy  Spirit  will  implant  in 
the  .soul  of  the  willing  disciple  a  world-wide  love 
and  sympathy,  which  will  awaken  an  inten.se  in¬ 
terest  in  all  that  concerns  Christ  and  his  king¬ 
dom.  When  all  the  powers  are  enlisted  in  the 


24 


Wealth* 


service  of  God,  men  esteem  it  a  joyful  privilege  to 
give  as  unto  him. 

God’s  kingdom  should  share  first  in  the  results 
of  our  prosperity.  There  are  six  thousand  young 
people  in  the  colleges  of  the  United  States  who 
are  volunteers  ‘  f©r°  Christian  mission-work.  Con¬ 
secrated  "men  and  women  are  ready.  How  can 
they  go  unless  they  are  sent?  Money  is  the  es¬ 
sential  requirement  for  the  speedy  extension  of 
Christ’s  kingdom  over  the  earth.  Inasmuch  as  it 
takes  our  time  and  strength  to  accumulate  wealth, 
we  should  employ  it  to  spread  the  gospel,  the 
power  of  which  is  able  to  transform  and  enrich 
the  lives  of  those  who  to-day  bewail  the  misery 
that  grows  out  of  their  heathenish  ignorance 
and  superstitions. 

A  man  has  no  right  to  jeopard  his  obligatio?is 
to  God  by  entering  into  investments  where  he  can 
not  cheerfully  respond  to  those  calls  that  involve 
the  extension  of  God’s  kingdom.  Many  of  our 
Christian  enterprises  are  failing  to  accomplish  the 
highest  service  for  God  and  man — not  because 
many  men  of  wealth  do  not  see  and  feel  their  im¬ 
portance,  but  they  are  weighed  down  with  other 
financial  obligations  in  their  investments  and  ex- 


Cbe  IResponelbUit^  of  IliUealtb. 


25 


penses.  They  find  the  larger  the  income  the 
larger  the  expenses,  and  consequently  their  liber¬ 
ality  is  rare.  Perhaps  this  will  account  for  the 
statement  made  by  Mr.  Gladstone  and  Cardinal 
Manning,  that  the  shrinkage  of  private  charity  is 
contemporaneous  with  the  enormous  increase  of 
wealth  in  England.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the 
American  people  will  prove  to  be  an  exception. 

In  these  days  when  the  strong  competitors  are 
trying  to  outstrip  the  weaker,  and  where  one  in¬ 
vestment  generally  demands  another  to  protect 
the  one  already  made,  a  man  should  guard  against 
unanticipated  claims,  in  order  that  he  may  give 
cheerfully  to  worthy  objects  as  the  Lord  hath 
prospered  him.  This  conclusion  is  based  on  the 
fact  that  no  man  has  a  moral  right  to  arrogate  to 
himself  the  privileges  of  our  social  and  Christian 
institutions,  and  reject  the  duties  corresponding 
with  them. 

The  majority  of  men  can  find  an  excuse  for 
not  giving  when  appealed  to  for  some  benevolent 
object.  It  is  eminently  wise  to  pla7i  ahead  con¬ 
scientiously  and  systematical^  to  give  to  promote 
the  extension  of  the  gospel.  “The  liberal  soul 
devisetli  liberal  things.”  Men  mortgage  the  future 


2  6 


mealtb. 


to  buy  a  corner-lot  or  make  an  investment,  and 
yet  refuse  to  venture  a  small  subscription  to  some 
of  the  greatest  Christian  enterprises  which  are  the 
glory  of  our  modern  civilization.  Men  of  average 
means,  unincumbered  with  large  financial  invest¬ 
ments,  respond  most  readily  to  charitable  objects. 
The  small  gifts  of  the  many  have  largety  built  up 
and  sustained  Christian  institutions  which  benefit 
the  public. 

Again,  men  are  responsible  for  the  use  they 
make  of  their  wealth  while  living.  Wise  men  are 
coming  to  see  the  importance  of  being  their  own 
executors  and  trustees  of  their  own  wills.  Men 
of  generous  impulses,  in  their  struggle  to  keep 
pace  with  modern  business  methods,  alluring  in¬ 
vestments,  and  personal  expenses,  often  defer  giv¬ 
ing  until  they  can  make  a  more  generous  offering, 
or  until  death  has  wrenched  their  wealth  from 
their  hands.  “What  is  wrested  from  me  by  the 
grip  of  death,”  says  Mr.  Gladstone,  “I  can,  in  no 
sense,  be  said  to  give.”  Hoarded  wealth,  like 
the  hoarded  manna,  is  both  useless  and  of¬ 
fensive. 

Bequests  in  these  days  frequently  open  the 
way  for  misunderstandings  and  litigations.  The 


Gbe  IReeponeibUttg  ot  TiXIlealtb* 


27 


large  estates  of  Mr.  Stewart,  Mr.  Tilden,  and  others, 
show  how  men’s  purposes  to  do  good  after  death 
are  thwarted  by  legal  difficulties.  Men  ought  to 
give  with  a  liberal  hand  while  living.  “It  is  not 
-simply  a  privilege;  it  is  a  glory.  It  develops 
manhood.  It  makes  the  giver  a  taller,  broader, 
deeper  man;  it  puts  him  into  .sympathy  with  his 
fellow-man  the  world  over;  it  makes  him  tenfold 
more  a  man.  Many  men  are  moral  dwarfs  who 
might  be  giants.  They  live  in  the  malarial  val¬ 
leys  of  their  own  mean  and  selfish  natures,  when 
they  might  breathe  the  mountain  air  and  ba.sk  in 
the  divine  sunshine  of  noble  deeds.” 

A  prominent  millionaire,  whose  benefactions  al¬ 
ready  aggregate  nearly  three  million  dollars,  once 
said:  “The  man  who  dies  rich,  dies  disgraced. 
That  is  the  gospel  I  preach,  that  is  the  gospel  I 
practice,  and  that  is  the  gospel  I  intend  to  prac¬ 
tice  during  what  remains  of  life.” 

The  lesson  should  be  enjoined  upon  all  men 
of  wealth  to  administer  their  own  benefactions, 
and  carry  out  their  purposes  in  person,  and  see 
the  good  accomplished.  “The  risk,”  says  Bishop 
Hurst,  “is  too  great  and  the  issues  too  serious,  in 
the.se  days,  to  intrust  too  confidingly  one’s  noble, 


28 


mealtb. 


benevolent  plans  to  the  doubtful  mercies  of  dis¬ 
contented  heirs  and  industrious  attorneys.” 

The  settlement  of  an  estate  while  the  owner  is 
living  shows  the  true  financial  situation.  It  is 
surprising  how  few  estates  are  well-balanced  and 
automatic.  Many  heirs  find  the  productive  funds 
of  an  estate  absorbed  by  the  unproductive.  A 
man’s  personality  is  often  identified  with  his  in¬ 
vestments.  The  power  and  prestige  of  his  per¬ 
sonality  vanishes  at  death.  Men  should  take  ad¬ 
vantage  of  this  fact,  and  avoid  any  shrinkage  of 
their  accumulations. 

We  have  frequent  examples  of  men  of  great 
wealth  who  have  expressed  a  purpose  of  doing 
generous  things  before  they  died,  but  have  ended 
without  doing  anything.  Riches  are  uncertain. 
Pride  of  judgment  and  business  sagacity  often 
lead  men  to  make  investments,  or  to  be  inveigled 
into  some  financial  scheme,  long  after  their  fac¬ 
ulties  have  unconsciously  diminished,  and  they 
have  suddenly  lost  the  accumulation  of  a  life¬ 
time.  The  only  safe  way  is  to  give  while  the 
mind  is  clear  and  the  judgment  good.  If  a  man 
gives  bountifully  while  he  has  it,  he  is  sure  of  ex¬ 
ecuting  noble  deeds  and  having  God’s  reward  in 


Zhc  IResponslbiUtg  of  TIMealtb. 


29 


this  life  of  “good  measure,  pressed  down,  and 
shaken  together,  and  running  over.”  We  truly 
save  for  ourselves  what  we  give  to  the  Lord. 

The  great  charge  -of  our  Lord  is  not  to  be  left 
to  our  executors ;  but  we  are  to  accomplish  it 
while  living.  “  Charge  them  that  are  rich  in  this 
world,  that  they  be  not  high-minded,  nor  trust  in 
uncertain  riches,  but  in  the  living  God,  who 
giveth  us  richly  all  things  to  enjoy ;  that  they 
do  good,  that  they  be  rich  in  good  works,  ready 
to  distribute,  willing  to  communicate ;  laying  up 
in  store  for  themselves  a  good  foundation  against 
the  time  to  come,  that  they  may  lay  hold  on  eter¬ 
nal  life.” 

Few  men  of  wealth  relax  their  grip  on  their 
possessions.  It  requires  a  most  resolute  will  to  be 
the  executor  of  one’s  own  estate.  Many  persons, 
like  the  rich  young  ruler,  will  turn  away  sorrow¬ 
ful  at  the  thought.  Happy  is  the  man  who  proves 
equal  to  the  occasion. 


IV. 


£be  Distribution  of  Wealth, 


HE  distribution  of  wealth  is  the  problem  of 


1  our  age.  Men  need  to  know  more  of  the 
objects  for  which  wealth  is  used  than  the  increase 
of  it.  “  Nobody, ”  says  Goethe,  “should  be  rich 
but  those  who  understand  it.”  Men  who  amass 
wealth  do  not  always  make  the  wisest  distribution 
of  it.  It  requires  both  knowledge  and  a  right 
spirit  fitly  to  use  wealth.  It  is  not  a  question  of 
good ,  but  whether  the  highest  good  will  come 
through  certain  uses  of  money.  No  man  can 
meet  his  responsibility  by  leaving  his  giving  to 
chance  or  impulse.  Safety  lies  in  following  cer¬ 
tain  guiding  principles. 

The  use  a  man  makes  of  wealth  determines 
his  conception  of  life.  In  the  light  of  man’s  na¬ 
ture  and  possibilities  we  can  better  understand 
the  objects  for  which  wealth  is  most  wonthily 
used.  The  highest  economic  and  religious  ideal 
should  be  the  physical,  mental,  and  moral  better¬ 
ment  of  mankind. 


Ebe  Distribution  ot  TMcaltb* 


31 


The  aim  of  God’s  kingdom  is,  that  his  will 
shall  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  done  in  heaven. 
He  wills  the  perfection  of  each  human  being. 
His  children  can  not  have  a  lower  aim  without 
losing  somewhat  their  identity  with  him.  In  the 
light  of  this  divine  ideal  for  humanity,  we  should 
administer  trust  funds  so  as  to  produce  the  phys¬ 
ical,  mental,  and  spiritual  welfare  of  the  race, 
thereby  helping  to  restore  the  fullest  measure  of 
the  divine  ideal  to  man. 

This  ideal  may  be  better  than  men  entertain 
for  themselves  or  for  others.  The  ideal  for  man 
should  not  be  according  to  present  possibilities, 
but  commensurate  with  their  highest  capacities. 
These  ideals,  if  maintained,  will  elevate  the  whole 
tone  of  society. 

No  one  can  rise  to  a  true  conception  of  life, 
and  maintain  a  high  ideal  for  the  race,  unless  he  is 
trying  to  realize  it  in  his  own  life.  Men  who 
consecrate  their  life  to  these  holy  ends  link  them¬ 
selves  to  God  and  the  race.  They  pour  their  life 
into  the  life  of  mankind  whenever  their  hands 
and  hearts  are  open  in  blessing  and  love.  Chris¬ 
tianity  will  be  socially  and  morally  effective  only 
in  so  far  as  its  followers  exhibit  its  power  to  serve 


32 


TKIlealtb. 


the  welfare  of  all  men.  That  wealth,  then,  is 
turned  to  the  best  account  which  aids  in  holding 
up  the  noblest  conception  of  life,  and  sets  itself  to 
actualize  the  fullest  measure  of  manhood  for  man. 

This  exalted  conception  of  life  excludes  all 
selfish  ends  in  the  use  of  wealth.  Wealth  consists 
in  those  elements  in  man’s  material  environment 
which  contribute  to  his  well-being.  Whenever  a 
person  passes  beyond  the  idea  of  well-being  in 
the  use  of  wealth, -he  abuses  the  power  delegated 
to  him.  The  noblest  men  are  independent  of  ma¬ 
terial  wealth.  They  do  not  despise  it,  because  it 
supplies  the  means  and  affords  the  opportunity 
for  something  better.  While  it  is  a  prerequisite 
to  the  best  things,  yet  it  remains  for  each  to  con¬ 
trol  wealth,  rather  than  have  wealth  control 
him. 

A  wise  use  of  wealth  makes  it  imperative  to 
retrench  all  wasteful  and  injurious  enjoyment  of 
the  same.  It  is  right  to  recreate  the  energies  by 
those  diversions  which  refresh  and  fit  one  for 
better  work;  but  any  amusement  that  unfits  a 
person  for  work  is  wrong.  Likewise  the  idle  dis¬ 
play  of  wealth  in  social  life  is  an  abuse  of  trust. 
True  friendship  develops  mental  and  moral  quali- 


£be  Distribution  of  Wealth* 


33 


ties.  As  social  beings,  we  should  mingle  with 
men,  and  learn  to  appreciate  their  excellence  and 
sympathize  in  their  interests ;  but  to  do  this  we 
need  not  pass  the  bounds  of  modest  and  unosten¬ 
tatious  living.  It  would  be  well  if  the  American 
people  would  adopt  the  noble  maxim  of  “  plain 
living  and  high  thinking.” 

If  we  would  take  more  time  to  cultivate  the 
mind  and  train  the  affections,  we  should  escape 
the  hollow  mockery  of  much  of  our  social  life. 
The  extravagance  and  dissipation  of  many  men  of 
wealth  is  a  misuse  of  opportunity,  and  justly 
arouses  the  indignation  of  the  poor.  Besides,  the 
expenditure  of  money  in  useless  articles,  sports, 
or  vulgar  display  of  social  life  withdraws  it  from 
supporting  honest,  productive  labor.  The  extrav¬ 
agant  use  of  money  is  certainly  unjust  to  the 
children.  The  parent  who  permits  a  standard 
of  expenditures  in  the  home  which  is  above  the 
ability  of  the  average  man,  is  preparing  to  make 
the  children  miserable  when  they  come  to  set 
up  homes  for  themselves,  and  must  maintain 
them  by  honest  labor.  Worthy  and  intelligent 
young  men  of  limited  means  are  practically 
barred  from  marrying  the  daughters  of  rich  men, 
3 


TOcaltb. 


34 

/ 

for  fear  of  making  them  unhappy  in  a  modest 
home  with  humble  fare. 

Again,  the  expenditure  of  a  large  sum  of 
money  in  a  residence  is  an  unwise  policy.  Men 
should  have  homes  of  culture  and  comfort;  but 
to  invest  a  small  fortune  in  a  home  which  costs 
perplexity  and  trial  to  erect,  and  burdensome 
taxes  and  servants  to  maintain,  is  a  monument  of 
folly.  The  earning  capacity  of  the  average  man  is 
limited,  and  the  architectural  taste  of  one  man 
will  not  always  suit  another;  so  that  when  a  man 
dies  and  leaves  his  estate  to  be  sold,  a  very 
small  amount  of  the  outlay  is  realized  by  the 
heirs. 

Let  us  remember  that  the  highest  virtue  is 
found  in  self-sacrifice.  Men  who  forego  present 
enjoyment,  and  generously  use  wealth  for  the 
highest  human  welfare  and  the  broadest  concep¬ 
tion  of  human  life,  find  a  richer  and  fuller  life  for 
themselves  and  their  families.  “He  that  loseth 
his  life,”  says  Jesus,  “for  my  sake,  shall  find  it.” 
The  excessive  love  of  gain  reacts  on  a  man’s 
nature,  and  robs  him  of  generous  feelings  and 
nobility  of  soul.  Few  have  bright,  sunny  dispo¬ 
sitions,  because  they  try  to  rest  content  with 


Cbe  Distribution  of  Wealth. 


35 


“bread  alone;”  whereas  they  were  made  for  higher 
things.  “He  that  loveth  silver  shall  not  be  satis¬ 
fied  with  silver;  nor  he  that  loveth  abundance 
with  increase.”  (Eccl.  v,  io.) 

Many  men  of  wealth  have  allowed  their  habits 
of  economy  to  merge  into  covetousness.  This 
spirit  grows  until  they  feel  poorer  as  wealth  in¬ 
creases.  They  soon  re-enact  the  character  of  a 
Shylock.  They  are  walking  examples  of  the 
misnomer,  “Poverty  of  wealth.”  Instead  of  being 
loved  and  respected,  they  are  held  in  contempt  by 
those  who  know  of  their  cold,  hard,  and  selfish 
lives.  They  finally  arrive  at  a  sordid,  querulous, 
and  unhappy  old  age,  and  die  unloved  and  un¬ 
mourned  by  their  fellow-men. 

Again,  the  spirit  of  love  and  self-sacrifice  finds 
a  rich  compensation  in  the  home.  Selfishness  in 
children  will  overcome  even  filial  love.  On  the 
contrary,  noble  and  generous  feelings  developed 
in  the  family  will  make  the  children  kinder  and 
more  considerate  of  parents,  especially  when  the 
infirmities  of  old  age  lead  them  to  hope  for  the 
most  unselfish  service.  It  may  be  truly  said  that 
“charity  givetli  itself  rich,  but  covetousness  hoards 
itself  poor.”  The  abiding  principle  contained  in 


36 


mealtb* 


the  promises  of  our  Lord  is,  that  temporal,  spirit¬ 
ual,  and  eternal  blessings  attend  the  liberal  soul. 

Distributing  wealth  to  children  or  heirs  is  a 
subject  that  should  receive  careful  attention.  It 
is  natural  and  right  for  a  man  to  place  the  welfare 
of  his  family  and  friends  among  his  first  duties. 
Keeping  in  view  this  idea  of  bettering  the  condi¬ 
tion  of  children  through  inheritance,  a  man  should 
be  careful  not  to  make  an  intended  blessing  prove 
a  curse.  We  want  our  children  to  have  the  largest 
life  and  comfort.  How  can  it  be  done? 

Happiness  is  the  creation  of  the  mind  and 
heart.  It  is  largely  the  result  of  the  conscious¬ 
ness  of  the  normal  activity  of  our  highest  ability. 
Life  is  the  substratum  of  human  personality.  We 
intensify  life  and  bring  happiness  by  developing 
personality.  The  child  has  ends  in  himself.  In¬ 
dependence  and  freedom  are  the  marks  of  his 
superiority  and  the  bases  of  his  happiness.  It  is 
the  child’s  right  to  perfect  his  own  being,  for  the 
destiny  of  which  he  alone  is  responsible.  The  de¬ 
velopment  of  the  faculties  and  the  calling  out  the 
personality  should  be  the  first  consideration.  The 
essential  condition  is,  that  he  shall  not  be  bolstered 
up  and  hampered  by  indulgences  so  that  he  shall  be 


OTe  Distribution  of  TltHealtb. 


37 


deprived  of  the  incentives  to  work.  Unless  he 
can  develop  his  own  faculties,  and  procure  his 
own  happiness  by  individual  effort,  he  is  robbed 
of  his  right,  and  becomes  restless  and  unhappy. 

The  ideal  for  our  children  is  not  a  life  of  idle¬ 
ness,  but  a  life  of  work.  Diligence  is  a  duty. 
Work  calls  into  exercise  the  best  powers. 

The  child,  to  make  the  highest  success  of  life, 
must  deal  with  the  real  world.  The  child  of  rich 
parents  lives  too  much  in  a  visionary  world.  He 
does  not  deal  with  reality.  Real  things  have  laws, 
and  he  must  submit  himself  to  them  in  order  to 
.secure  confidence  in  his  ability  to  work.  Thus 
testing  his  powers,  he  grows  independent  and  self- 
reliant.  As  opportunity  offers,  he  is  prepared  to 
take  a  step  higher.  The  beneficent  law  of  the 
universe  is,  that  man  shall  earn  his  bread  by  the 
sweat  of  his  brow.  Parents  contravene  this  law 
when  they  try  to  ward  off  difficulties  and  re¬ 
sponsibilities  by  providing  their  children  with  the 
means  of  life. 

The  father  of  Hon.  Chauncey  M.  Depew  re¬ 
fused  to  help  him  to  a  dollar,  and  he  had  to  make 
his  own  way  in  the  world.  The.se  words  of  his 
carry  a  weighty  lesson:  “Well,  I  found  I  had  a 


3* 


TKttealtb. 


hard  lot  of  it — nobody  had  a  harder  one — and  the 
old  gentleman  stood  by  and  let  me  tussle  and 
fight  it  out.  I  bless  him  to-night,  with  all  the 
heart  and  gratitude  I  have,  for  that.  If  he  had 
taken  the  other  course,  what  would  I  have  done? 
I  would  have  been  up  in  Peekskill  to-night  nurs¬ 
ing  a  stove,  cursing  the  men  who  had  succeeded  in 
the  world,  and  wondering  by  what  exceptional  luck 
they  had  got  on ;  but  having  my  way  to  dig  alone, 
I  got  beyond  everything  my  father  ever  dreamed 
of.  But  it  was  done  by  fourteen  hours’,  or  six¬ 
teen  hours’,. or  eighteen  hours’,  work  a  day,  if 
necessary.  It  was  done  by  temperance,  by 
economy.” 

Men  are  coming  to  feel  that  riches  stand  more 
in  the  way  of  a  young  man’s  success  than  poverty. 
Whenever  the  child’s  conditions  are  such  that 
they  do  not  invite  effort,  but  he  is  lulled  by  kind¬ 
ness,  his  faculties  become  smothered  and  dwarfed, 
and  he  is  thereby  deprived  of  the  freedom  and 
independence  of  character  which  conditions  his 
happiness.  Emerson  says:  “He  is  no  whole  man 
until  he  knows  how  to  earn  a  blameless  liveli¬ 
hood.” 

The  instincts  of  our  nature  receive  a  fuller 


tTbe  HMstrtbutlon  of  TIClealtb. 


39 


ancl  higher  satisfaction  by  a  heroic  life.  Wealth 
fails  in  its  object  when  it  does  not  serve  to  in¬ 
spire  the  heart  and  elevate  the  man.  Material 
goods,  at  best,  are  only  appendages  and  auxili¬ 
aries  of  personality.  Parents  repress  noble  quali¬ 
ties,  and  rob  their  children  of  the  divine  right  of 
culture,  when  they  seek  to  have  them  escape  the 
rough  side  of  life  by  making  for  them  a  place, 
and  then  bolstering  them  up.  Only  Socialists 
and  weaklings  look  for  paternal  help,  and  a  guar¬ 
antee  from  the  struggles  and  hardships  incident 
to  life. 

Then,  again,  wealth  heaped  upon  children 
often  melts  away  within  a  few  years.  The  child 
frequently  lacks  the  impelling  motive  and  the  ex¬ 
ceptional  talent  of  the  father.  He  has  not  learned 
to  exercise  self-denial  and  abstinence  as  the  bases 
of  .success.  There  appears  to  be  a  divine  law 
that  every  second  or  third  generation  of  wealthy 
families  must  return  to  work  in  the  dirt  in  order 
to  get  new  life  and  vigor. 

The  children  of  men  of  wealth  are  placed 
under  severe  temptations  which  few  can  resist. 
Perhaps  the  parents,  who  have  acquired  the  wealth, 
have  found  a  great  saving  power  in  a  noble  Chris- 


40 


OTealtb. 


tian  purpose  and  high  aspirations,  which  the  ne¬ 
cessity  of  industry  and  enforced  economy  in  early 
life  has  helped  to  foster.  Every  dollar  given  to 
an  unworthy  child  increases  his  power  of  evil,  and 
hastens  his  self-destruction.  Moral  wrecks  abound 
through  the  subtle  influences  of  inherited  wealth. 
Saloons  thrive  on  the  hard-earned  savings  of  dead 
saints.  Only  a  well-developed  manhood  will  en¬ 
able  a  person  to  stand  against  the  organized  and 
legalized  forms  of  social  demoralization. 

Wealth  should  be  used  to  open  the  door  of  op¬ 
portunity  to  the  highest  virtues  and  noblest  tal¬ 
ents.  It  is  far  better  to  spend  money  in  develop¬ 
ing  the  faculties  within  the  child  than  to  load  him 
down  with  material  things  from  without.  Chil¬ 
dren  of  rich  men  should  be  encouraged  to  work 
for  public  ends  without  any  financial  consideration, 
thus  making  their  wealth  the  property  of  the 
many.  “The  world  rightly  insists  that  every  man 
shall  do  something  to  justify  his  claims  upon  the 
consideration  and  honor  of  society.”  Eet  them  be 
taught  to  reject  any  help  or  inheritance  that  would 
tempt  them  to  turn  aside  from  the  exercise  of  their 
highest  abilities  in  doing  the  work  God  has  given 
them. 


Gbe  Distribution  ot  “Mealtb. 


41 


Satan  offered  the  world  to  turn  aside  the  Son  of 
man  from  his  mission;  but  He  said:  “My  meat  is 
to  do  the  will  of  Him  that  sent  me.”  With  such 
motives  and  aspirations,  our  sons  and  daughters 
will  be  the  glory  and  pride  of  our  homes  and 
nation. 

There  are  many  philanthropic  enterprises  which 
are  the  glory  of  our  age.  The  most  important  are 
the  Christian  institutions  which  seek  the  the  glory 
of  God  by  ministering  to  the  physical,  mental, 
and  spiritual  needs  of  the  people. 

The  increasing  appeals  for  benevolent  pur¬ 
poses  show  the  remarkable  growth  of  all  forms 
of  Christian  work.  Instead  of  disheartening,  it 
.should  encourage  us.  Remember,  sin  and  dissipa¬ 
tion  are  expensive.  One  saloon  costs  as  much 
financial  outlay  as  a  church.  Many  persons  would 
be  surprised,  were  they  to  keep  careful  account, 
to  see  how  comparatively  little  they  give  to  benev¬ 
olent  objects.  The  givers  compose  but  a  small 
section  or  class  of  a  community.  Some  objects  of 
charity  appeal  .strongly  to  our  sympathy,  while 
others  lay  claim  to  our  judgment.  One  speaks  to 
the  present,  the  other  looks  at  both  the  present 
and  the  future.  Some  forms  of  charity  affect  only 


42 


Wealth. 


the  outward  conditions  of  men.  However  worthy 
these  objects  may  be,  they  may  be  only  temporary, 
and  should  be  sustained  only  as  a  means  to  higher 
ends.  Permanent  benefits  are  better  than  tempo¬ 
rary  comforts. 

The  best  way  to  raise  the  conditions  of  men  is 
to  open  the  way  for  them  to  help  themselves. 
The  means  to  be  employed  to  work  out  the  high¬ 
est  welfare  of  the  race  is  to  educate  the  hands, 
head,  and  heart  of  the  youth.  God’s  method  of 
dealing  with  men  is  to  give  them  the  opportunity 
of  helping  themselves.  He  gives  the  soil,  the 
forest,  the  seed,  the  rain,  and  the  sunshine.  With 
these  conditions,  men  must  carve  their  own  way 
to  fortune.  God  bestows  the  opportunities,  and 
leaves  man  to  achieve  his  own  destiny.  It  is  the 
glory  of  man  to  develop  his  God-given  capacities. 
The  true  benefactor  of  the  race  directs  his  giving 
in  harmony  with  the  principle  of  self-dependence. 

The  best  service  we  can  do  for  our  fellow-men 
is  to  help  them  establish  right  relations  with  God. 
The  true  reform  begins  with  the  hearts  of  men. 
If  the  right  spirit  is  in  a  man,  he  will  conform  his 
outward  life  to  it.  Men  will  shed  their  faults  by 
awakening  and  securing  a  healthy  life  within. 


XLhc  Distribution  of  Wealth. 


43 


Jesus  says:  “Seek  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and 
his  righteousness,  and  all  things  else  shall  be  added 
unto  you.”  The  man  who  helps  establish  and 
support  Christian  churches,  missions,  hospitals, 
and  the  organized  forms  of  Christian  activity,  is 
making  the  wisest  use  of  money. 

The  next  use  of  wealth  in  the  order  of  impor¬ 
tance  is  the  training  of  the  body  and  giving  it 
proper  conditions  for  developing  the  life  of  the 
soul.  The  body  should  be  honored  as  the  temple 
of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Jesus  ministered  to  the  phys¬ 
ical  needs  of  men,  and  made  such  ministry  the 
doorway  to  their  hearts. 

It  is  a  serious  question  how  to  minister  to  the 
physical  needs  of  the  poor.  There  is  danger  in 
indiscriminate  giving.  In  this  day  of  organized 
charity  we  are  likely  to  relax  our  efforts  and  sym¬ 
pathies  by  failing  to  keep  in  personal  touch  with 
the  poor  and  unfortunate,  because  we  delegate  the 
duties  to  others.  If  possible,  each  case  .should  be 
personally  investigated  before  bestowing  charity. 
This  method  blesses  the  giver  and  helps  the  re¬ 
cipient. 

It  is  a  safe  rule  to  give  to  develop  the  inward 
resources  of  the  poor.  Work  from  within  out- 


44 


THHealtb. 


ward.  Each  one  should  have  the  opportunity  to 
work  and  lift  himself  above  want,  thereby  pro¬ 
moting  industry  and  preserving  manhood.  Trade- 
schools  should  be  established  for  the  young, 
wherein  every  industry  requiring  skill  ma^  be 
taught  by  willing  and  capable  instructors. 

Men  should  always  have  a  care  and  considera¬ 
tion  for  the  failures  of  life.  Men  broken  in  health 
or  overtaken  by  misfortune  need  the  best  condi¬ 
tions  which  a  generous  use  of  wealth  can  bestow; 
but  giving  should  never  be  the  reward  of  laziness. 
The  industrious  and  prudent  have  no  responsibil¬ 
ity  to  aid  the  negligent  and  shiftless.  The  worthy 
poor  who  are  in  a  state  of  involuntary  depend¬ 
ence  deserve  our  aid  and  sympathy ;  but  the  pau¬ 
per  who  voluntarily  chooses  to  live  by  the  industry 
of  others,  should  be  forced  to  work,  even  if  it  be 
our  “  poor  relation.”  The  divine  law  is  that  if  a 
man  does  not  work,  neither  shall  he  eat.  Charity 
given  to  ninety  per  cent  of  the  street-beggars  goes 
to  support  the  criminally  idle  and  vicious.  Men 
should  never  reward  vice  in  their  efforts  to  relieve 
virtue. 

The  housing  of  the  poor  in  our  great  cities  is 
a  question  that  demands  the  earnest  thought  of 


Cbe  Distribution  of  Wealth. 


45 


our  legislators  and  philanthropists.  It  is  nothing 
unusual  for  a  tenement-house  in  New  York  City, 
covering  two  hundred  feet  square,  to  contain  six 
hundred  persons.  Is  it  to  be  wondered  that  disease, 
drunkenness,  and  vice  revel  in  so  many  of  these 
abodes  ? 

Likewise  such  organizations  as  the  Children’s 
Aid  Society  of  New  York,  that  received  in  thirty- 
two  years  more  than  three  hundred  thousand 
homeless  boys  and  girls,  and  helped  them  to  an 
honest,  self-reliant,  and  useful  citizenship,  deserve 
the  heartiest  support.  “  We  ought,”  says  Mr. 
Gladstone,  “  in  this  life  to  foster  all  that  makes 
goodness  easier,  and  set  barriers,  of  whatever 
kind,  across  the  flowery  ways  of  sin.” 

Men  of  wealth  may  largely  prevent  .social  dis¬ 
turbances,  and  industrial  conflicts  which  menace 
their  life  and  property,  by  carrying  out  the  law  of 
love  to  those  less  fortunate.  The  gratitude  so 
easily  awakened  by  noble  public  benefactions  will 
help  allay  jealousies  and  bitter  feelings  of  the 
wage-workers,  and  pave  the  way  for  a  kingdom  of 
love  and  peace  in  which  all  will  be  mutually 
blessed.  When  the  teachings  of  Jesus  Christ  are 
adopted  as  the  standard  of  life  and  conduct,  then 


46 


OTealtb. 


wealth  and  poverty  will  join  hands  in  a  common 
brotherhood,  based  upon  liberty,  industry,  intelli¬ 
gence,  and  moral  worth. 

The  third  and  last,  in  order  of  importance,  is 
the  use  of  wealth  for  the  trainmg  of  the  mind  and 
all  the  human  faculties. 

History  teaches  us  that  the  highest  blessings 
for  the  race  are  the  result  of  intellectual  and  spir¬ 
itual  forces.  Men  who  establish  churches  and 
hospitals,  found  missions,  erect  public  libraries 
and  museums,  and  aid  Christian  colleges,  enrich 
and  ennoble  the  life  of  the  people.  Our  Christian 
colleges  have  well  merited  the  noble  exhibitions 
of  large  benefactions  within  late  years.  Our 
youth  should  have  roundly  developed  characters. 
We  have  a  right  to  expect  that  our  colleges  will 
train  their  physical,  intellectual,  and  spiritual  na¬ 
tures  for  the  highest  service. 

The  Christian  colleges  are  especially  centers  of 
power  where  intelligent  and  consecrated  men  and 
women  shall  be  prepared  for  wise  leadership  of 
the  people.  We  must  look  to  them  for  the  high¬ 
est  type  of  Christian  teachers,  editors,  statesmen, 
and  reformers.  The  masses  need  stronger,  wiser, 
and  better  leadership.  To  use  wealth  in  building 


tTbe  Distribution  of  Wealth* 


47 


up  colleges  is  certain  to  result  in  setting  the  highest 
forces  at  work  whereby  the  greatest  number  of 
people  will  be  benefited. 

Many  forms  of  Christian  charity  which  appeal 
to  our  generosity  to-day  will  not  be  needed  within 
another  century;  the  conditions  which  called 
them  forth  will  be  changed.  But  there  never  will 
be  a  time  when  the  human  faculties  and  character 
will  not  need  developing. 

The  most  permanent  form  of  Christian  work, 
and  the  most  far-reaching  results  growing  out  of 
our  benefactions,  will  be  on  the  line  of  work  done 
in  our  Christian  colleges.  Perhaps  the  most  en¬ 
viable  privilege  that  a  man  of  means  has,  is  to 
give  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  to  establish  a 
professorship  in  some  Christian  college,  and  let 
the  interest  of  it  keep  some  noble  teacher  perpet¬ 
ually  employed  to  instruct  and  inspire  the  youth 
of  the  land.  It  becomes  a  royal  heritage  to  pres¬ 
ent  and  future  generations. 

Rev.  R.  S.  MacArtliur,  speaking  of  the  New 
England  colleges,  says:  “The  great  colleges 
founded  in  that  early  day  have  been  the  bulwarks 
of  education,  of  liberty,  and  of  religion.  The  man 
who  founds,  by  money  or  brains,  a  great  univer- 


48 


TOealtb. 


sity,  which  remains  loyal  to  truth  and  God,  does 
more  to  bless  man  and  to  honor  God  than  man  or 
angel  can  estimate.  He  founds  the  most  enduring 
institution  known  this  side  of  God’s  throne.  Ox¬ 
ford  and  Cambridge  have  outlived  political  earth¬ 
quakes  ;  they  will  outlive  all  possible  national 
cataclysms.  They  are  more  enduring  than  the 
British  throne.  It  is  conceivable  that  a  republic 
may  take  the  place  one  day  of  the  British  mon¬ 
archy  ;  but  amid  the  crash  of  thrones  and  dynas¬ 
ties,  should  this  change  come,  these  great  univer¬ 
sities  will  stand  unmoved.  Empires  may  rise  and 
fall,  dynasties  change  and  decay;  but  these  insti¬ 
tutions  of  learning  shall  be  like  mighty  light¬ 
houses,  resting  on  the  eternal  rock,  and  sending 
out  the  light  of  science  and  religion,  blended  into 
one  flame,  to  illumine  the  world  and  glorify  God.” 

Men  should  reflect  that  within  ten  or  twenty 
years  after  their  death  their  names  will  be  almost 
forgotten,  unless  they  have  allied  themselves  with 
some  great  cause  that  will  elevate  humanity  and 
honor  God.  The  man  who  would  make  a  wise 
use  of  wealth  should  cultivate  an  intellectual 
vision,  generous  sympathies,  and  strong  energies, 
and  resolve  to  carry  out,  while  living,  the  God- 
given  purposes  of  his  heart. 


. 

. 


